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Dan Hardy Advocates for Ending Elbow Ban in PFL: ‘It Keeps Fights Moving’

Dan Hardy Advocates for Ending Elbow Ban in PFL: ‘It Keeps Fights Moving’ Top MMA mind Dan Hardy has some ideas for the PFL, most notably the elbows in the organization. The…

Top MMA mind Dan Hardy has some ideas for the PFL, most notably the elbows in the organization. The former UFC welterweight contender shared his thoughts after a weekend in PFL Glasgow.

Dan Hardy on PFL Elbows

Speaking to RG.org in an interview, Dan Hardy explained his stance. He said:

“There are certain times when I’m watching fights and I can feel a fight slows down in positions where elbows would keep it moving. And even talking to judges after some of the earlier events, they were like, ‘Man, it changes the ability to score on the floor a lot when they can’t elbow.’ So that, for me, is an easy one.

“It’s a super simple solution. We should reintroduce elbows at the first opportunity. The fighters would love it, the fans would love it. Elbows are in the unified rules of mixed martial arts.

“We should apply the unified rules to everything that we do – all the promotions that we have under the PFL banner. And we should realign ourselves with the real mixed martial arts fans.”

Elbows are largely allowed in the PFL except for tournament fights. The PFL holds annual tournaments where fighters will need to fight just months separately and want to avoid cut issues. But, in non-tournament bouts, elbows are allowed.

The PFL just had an electric show in Glasgow, Scotland this past weekend featuring one of the best fights of 2024 between Lewis McGrillen and Dean Garnett.

14 Knockdowns In Under 12 Minutes ?

Lewis McGrillen and Dean Garnett put on one of the greatest fights in PFL history at #PFLGlasgow ? pic.twitter.com/D1V0XtBbYb

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) September 29, 2024

Dan Hardy was highly impressed with this fight.

PFL

Francis Ngannou, the lineal MMA world champion, will face the knockout machine Renan Ferreira on October 19 live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the PFL. It is set to be a battle of heavyweight world champions in the main event.

Video - Francis Ngannou faces off with Renan Ferreira after emotional outburst pre-PFL debut

Dan Hardy Reignites Talk Of MMA Return: ‘I Said To The PFL…’

In 2013, UK MMA pioneer Dan Hardy retired from competition after being diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, which meant he wouldn’t be cleared to fight. Hardy would later find out and reveal five years down the line that a second opinion from a different doctor revealed that with him not feeling any of the effects of […]

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Reignites Talk Of MMA Return: ‘I Said To The PFL…’ at MMA News.

In 2013, UK MMA pioneer Dan Hardy retired from competition after being diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, which meant he wouldn’t be cleared to fight.

Hardy would later find out and reveal five years down the line that a second opinion from a different doctor revealed that with him not feeling any of the effects of the condition, he could’ve continued fighting.

Instead, the former UFC welterweight title challenger had already began his career as a commentator and analyst, which would eventually lead him to the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

As a key figure in the promotion as both a color commentator and the head of fighter operations for PFL Europe, Hardy is playing a pivotal role in helping to structure the promotion.

“The Outlaw” spoke in a recent interview with Sky Sports about wanting to bring in a “masters division” for older fighters who want to continue competing. Instead of fighting the next wave of upcoming contenders, they’d be facing opponents who are ay similar stage of their careers.

In fact, Hardy himself would be open to the idea of competing in that bracket.

Dan Hardy Teases Potentially Competing In ‘Masters Division’ In The PFL

Hardy has wanted to make a combat sports return for many years now, but in every instance, the fights or plans have fallen through for various reasons.

However, competing under the PFL banner against fellow legends and veterans of the sport would appear to be the most realistic and suitable option for an MMA comeback.

When asked whether he would put himself forward for a masters division, Hardy said that he has recently tried to speak to the PFL about having him step back inside the cage.

“Hey, why not? Yeah, why not. I actually said to the PFL the other day, we were coming out of an event and I said, ‘Look, like, I’ll dust off and come back for another 12 months,’ and I gave them three or four names. I’d be like, ‘Look, this is a good little selection of names.’”

When asked if he was being serious, he doubled down on the idea of competing once again to cap off his 36-fight pro career.

“Yeah, I’ll always fight. I’ll always fight, I love fighting, I love the adrenaline rush of it. I love the ‘do or die’ feeling of a fight, it’s the singlemindedness. You’re getting in there, you’re throwing techniques and you know, you’re hoping that your game plan is going to be the one that is victorious. I’m a little bit older now, absolutely, but of course, if we’ve got a masters division and I’ve got a few good ideas in mind…”

Sky Sports’ Nik Hobbs questioned whether Hardy would be willing to reveal any of the names that he put forward to the PFL. After some hesitation, he named former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis as a potential opponent.

“Not right now, no. But, well, I will say Anthony Pettis has always been someone I’ve had a lot of respect for and his name has been thrown around a few times regarding a future opponent for me. So maybe that’s an option, but we’ll see.”

Read More: Former Bellator Champion With 27-1 Record Enters Free Agency: ‘See You In The Octagon’

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Reignites Talk Of MMA Return: ‘I Said To The PFL…’ at MMA News.

Dan Hardy Slams UFC for Ignoring Ngannou’s Legacy, Reflects on Similar Treatment

The UFC’s attempt to erase Francis Ngannou’s legacy doesn’t sit well with Dan Hardy. Earlier this month, the UFC…

The UFC’s attempt to erase Francis Ngannou’s legacy doesn’t sit well with Dan Hardy.

Earlier this month, the UFC came under fire after the promotion had seemingly removed Israel Adesanya’s mention of Ngannou from an episode of UFC 305 Countdown.

The first rule of UFC Fight Club: don’t mention Francis Ngannou’s name…

Here’s a look at the clip from the UFC 305 Countdown episode versus what Adesanya actually said at the UFC 305 Pre-Sale Press Conference.

It’s no surprise, but the UFC’s attempt to erase Ngannou from its… pic.twitter.com/PZpA7UAtSe

— AFeldmanMMA (@afeldMMA) August 13, 2024

Dana White later took full responsibility for the situation during a DWCS media scrum and offered an apology to Adesanya. “Someone was editing that and made a conscious decision, thinking that was the right thing to do — that that’s what we would have wanted, what I would have wanted,” White said.

Unfortunately, this was far from the first time the promotion has attempted to scrub the Cameroonian from its history books.

During an event inside The APEX last year, a graphic flashed on the screen during Tafon Nchukwi’s walk to the Octagon that dubbed him the only Cameroonian fighter in UFC history. Ngannou was born and raised in the West Central African country before beginning a 14-month-long journey to Paris when he was 26 years old.

During a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy shared his take on the promotion’s conduct concerning Ngannou and how it all feels very reminiscent of when the UFC parted ways with another former heavyweight champion, Randy Couture.

“It was sad to see and it didn’t surprise me unfortunately and I did see what Dana’s reply was about the fact that the editors had assumed that’s what he would have chosen and what he would have wanted and look, they were probably right because it’s happened so many times in history. Ngannou and Randy, they’re two fantastically credible names in the sport” (h/t MMA News).

Dan Hardy likens his own situation with the UFC and the erasure of Francis Ngannou

‘The Outlaw’ was also able to draw comparisons to his own experience with the UFC, even if it was on a much smaller scale.

“My history in the UFC is far more mediocre in comparison but even so, at UFC London when Veronica was on the card, there’s posters of all the UK fighters on all of the underground tubes and everything and of course, I’m not there,” Hardy added. “It does happen, they do it a lot.

“It makes no difference to me, I can dye my hair red and walk down the street and people will remember my fights. It’s just kind of a weird thing to see and for people like Randy and Ngannou, they need to be celebrated because they’ve inspired so many people, myself included. They shouldn’t be omitted, they’re part of the fabric of the sport and I think the fans will always remember that.”

After airing some disagreements with the UFC both publicly and privately, Hardy and the promotion parted ways in 2021. Since then, the UFC has continued to ignore Hardy’s place in history as the first British fighter to compete for a UFC title when he challenged Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight championship in 2010.

Today, Hardy is the Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe and regularly lends his expertise as a member of the commentary team alongside Couture and Sean O’Connell

Dan Hardy Reacts To UFC Erasing Francis Ngannou, Compares With Own Experience

Francis Ngannou found himself in the news without doing anything the week before the press conference for his PFL debut. “The Predator” may be gearing up for his long awaited MMA return where he will face Renan Ferreira on October 19 but the legacy he left behind in the UFC will never be forgotten. The […]

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Reacts To UFC Erasing Francis Ngannou, Compares With Own Experience at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou found himself in the news without doing anything the week before the press conference for his PFL debut.

“The Predator” may be gearing up for his long awaited MMA return where he will face Renan Ferreira on October 19 but the legacy he left behind in the UFC will never be forgotten.

The MMA leader found themselves receiving some criticism during fight week for UFC 305, after claims that they had tried to erase Ngannou from the promotion’s history books due to his name being edited out during the Countdown episode preview.

Though Dana White did apologise for this and put it down to a miscommunication, it certainly wasn’t the first time that the UFC have tailored things to better suit the promotion.

Dan Hardy Says Francis Ngannou’s UFC Erasure Was Sad But Not Surprising Based On Track Record

During a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, PFL commentator Dan Hardy gave his thoughts on the discourse regarding the UFC’s conduct around the career of their former heavyweight champion, who left the promotion on less than stellar terms.

“The Outlaw” spoke about the comparisons between Ngannou’s treatment and that of Randy Couture, who also left to sign with another promotion and wasn’t remembered fondly by the UFC as a result.

“It was sad to see and it didn’t surprise me unfortunately and I did see what Dana’s reply was about the fact that the editors had assumed that’s what he would have chosen and what he would have wanted and look, they were probably right because it’s happened so many times in history. Ngannou and Randy, they’re two fantastically credible names in the sport.”

Hardy was also able to draw from his own experiences, even if his was on a smaller scale.

The current Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe left the promotion in 2021 after some disagreements with the UFC, both publicly and privately.

He recalled how he was seemingly wiped from the history of UK MMA during an event in London where his wife, Veronica, was in action.

Despite being the first Brit to challenge for a UFC title when he faced Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight belt, “The Outlaw” was nowhere to be seen across the celebrations of the sport in this region.

“My history in the UFC is far more mediocre in comparison but even so, at UFC London when Veronica was on the card, there’s posters of all the UK fighters on all of the underground tubes and everything and of course, I’m not there. It does happen, they do it a lot.

“It makes no difference to me, I can dye my hair red and walk down the street and people will remember my fights. It’s just kind of a weird thing to see and for people like Randy and Ngannou, they need to be celebrated because they’ve inspired so many people, myself included. They shouldn’t be omitted, they’re part of the fabric of the sport and I think the fans will always remember that.”

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Reacts To UFC Erasing Francis Ngannou, Compares With Own Experience at MMA News.

PFL Executive Says Tom Aspinall vs. Ngannou & Ferreira Winner Determines Best Heavyweight In The World

The heavyweight division in MMA has gone through a lot of changes over the last few years. From Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC and vacating his heavyweight title, to Jon Jones debuting in the weight class and becoming champion, to the ongoing situation regrading him, Stipe Miocic and interim champ Tom Aspinall. Ngannou is set […]

Continue Reading PFL Executive Says Tom Aspinall vs. Ngannou & Ferreira Winner Determines Best Heavyweight In The World at MMA News.

The heavyweight division in MMA has gone through a lot of changes over the last few years.

From Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC and vacating his heavyweight title, to Jon Jones debuting in the weight class and becoming champion, to the ongoing situation regrading him, Stipe Miocic and interim champ Tom Aspinall.

Ngannou is set to make his long awaited return to MMA when he debuts in the PFL on October 19 against PFL champion, Renan Ferreira.

The fight will see the winner claim the PFL Super Fights belt but with Ngannou never losing his UFC title, he has to be in the conversation for still being the best out there and therefore, Ferreira can also enter that discussion with a win.

Dan Hardy On Who The Best Heavyweight In The World Is

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, PFL commentator Dan Hardy gave his thoughts on the magnitude of the fight that is billed as “Battle of the Giants”.

The Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe believes that Ngannou versus Ferreira is the very highest level in the heavyweight division.

For what it’s worth, he also weighed in on the current Jones, Miocic, and Aspinall debate, making it clear who his pick is for the best of the bunch.

“We’re potentially going to find out who the best heavyweight is on the planet. There’s a lot of conversation on the other side around Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, Miocic, etc. Right now for me, Tom Aspinall is head & shoulders above Jon Jones and Stipe just based on his activity.”

With Aspinall being his pick for the best heavyweight in the UFC, Hardy said that a fight between the Brit and the winner of Ngannou vs. Ferreira may be the very pinnacle of the weight class.

“But, then you compare Tom Aspinall to Ngannou and Ferreira and that might be the fight to determine who the best heavyweight is on the planet, the winner of the Ngannou-Ferreira fight and then Tom Aspinall. It’s exciting. As an MMA fan, I love speculating about these things, it’s very rare that we get to match a current PFL champion against the heavyweight king of the world, Francis Ngannou.”

Continue Reading PFL Executive Says Tom Aspinall vs. Ngannou & Ferreira Winner Determines Best Heavyweight In The World at MMA News.

Dan Hardy Highlights Difficulty For Francis Ngannou In Renan Ferreira Fight: ‘I Might Wrestle But Then I’ve Got Five Rounds…’

Francis Ngannou is set to make his return to MMA on October 19 where his PFL debut comes with some big unknowns. Earlier this year, in his second venture into pro boxing, he was stopped for the first time in his career by Anthony Joshua. It was a devastating finish after being dropped several times […]

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Highlights Difficulty For Francis Ngannou In Renan Ferreira Fight: ‘I Might Wrestle But Then I’ve Got Five Rounds…’ at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou is set to make his return to MMA on October 19 where his PFL debut comes with some big unknowns.

Earlier this year, in his second venture into pro boxing, he was stopped for the first time in his career by Anthony Joshua.

It was a devastating finish after being dropped several times in the early stages of the fight and we don’t know how Ngannou will bounce back from such a tough loss.

In Renan Ferreira, he meets a fellow super-athlete who has proven his ability to connect with massive power at an unmatched range.

We have seen Ngannou use his grappling to secure the win when he defeated fellow-striker Ciryl Gane but will this be the same version that we see in Riyadh later this year?

Dan Hardy Breaks Down What Version Of Francis Ngannou We Will See On His Return

If there’s one area that is a weakness on Ferreira’s side, it’s his wrestling ability which has been an issue for him during his PFL career.

PFL commentator and analyst Dan Hardy isn’t convinced that even with this in mind, we will see Ngannou lace up his wrestling shoes because it’s not his usual game.

He spoke in an interview with talkSPORT shortly after the first meeting between Ngannou and Ferreira about how coming in with a grappling approach may not be the best idea for “The Predator”.

“It certainly could, especially the psychology around it right. Especially that first round where I mean, it’s not like he’s stepping back in against another heavyweight, like this guy is a legit phenom. He’s a freak, he’s tall, he’s fast, he can do backflips off of one leg, it’s ridiculous. So then you’ve got to think, if I’m Francis Ngannou and I’m standing across from this guy, I’m thinking to myself, ‘Well, I might wrestle but then I’ve got five rounds. If I start to slow down over five rounds, this guy could beat me up with a jab from a distance.’

“So for me, the confident but reckless Ngannou is the real danger on the feet in this one and we might see him go back to his wrestling again but ultimately, I think that the work that Ferreira has done at ATT [American top Team] has really shored up his wrestling and his grappling so even that’s not a foregone conclusion. I think we’re going to get a striking extravaganza and really, honestly, it’s the first one to land clean.”

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Highlights Difficulty For Francis Ngannou In Renan Ferreira Fight: ‘I Might Wrestle But Then I’ve Got Five Rounds…’ at MMA News.